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Topic: National pickups |
Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 7 Mar 2014 6:25 am |
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I'm considering picking up a National Special 8, similar to this one:
I already have a Supro Console 16, though, and I'm not sure if the sound would be the same or different (I'm hoping for different, since I don't really want redundant instruments). Can anyone compare the sound of the pickup above to the one on my Supro (below)? I assume they have different construction under the covers, but with Valco you can never be too sure of anything.
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2014 7:06 am
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I had a D-8 National with that pickup. It had a nice mellow tone, nothing like other Supros I've had/have. Both pickups had a really low resistance reading (around 2k for each neck necks)
Hope it helps.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2014 9:25 am
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| I'm not familiar with that Supro pickup. I have two Nationals with that style pickup, a D8 and an S6. I like their tone. Lower output than, say, a Stringmaster, but not undesirably weak. Not sure to what extent I'd go with Frank's characterization as "mellow" - clear and articulate to my ear. Certainly you can get "mellow" with the tone control. |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2014 9:47 am
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James, clear and articulate would be a good way to describe it. The one I had wasn't what I would call "bright" (not in a bad way mind you). I didn't feel the need to roll back the tone control as much as I do on other steels I have. That's what I was getting at with "mellow"
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2014 10:30 am
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| Frank James Pracher wrote: |
| James, clear and articulate would be a good way to describe it. The one I had wasn't what I would call "bright" (not in a bad way mind you). I didn't feel the need to roll back the tone control as much as I do on other steels I have. That's what I was getting at with "mellow" |
Sounds like we're in agreement. Always difficult to convey this sort of thing in words. One thing (of course, not unique to these pickups) is you can brighten them up by raising the polepieces a bit closer to the strings. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 8 Mar 2014 5:52 am
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| That definitely sounds different from my Supro, which has very strong output. I think I'm going to pass on the National. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2014 8:16 am
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| It's often 'hit or miss' with vintage pickups... but all of the National 8-string steels I've played over the years, ones that I bought and sold or that students brought to lessons, sounded dull and weak IMO. It's strange because they were probably built in the same factory and the Supros, Oahus, Silvertones, etc. Maybe these pickups were wound to different specs than the Supros? None of the ones I've played were as 'hot' as the Supros. |
Interesting. Definitely lower output than some other pickups, but "dull and weak" hasn't been my feeling, aside from when I first acquired a New Yorker that had the pickup polepieces screwed down just about as low as they'd go. Raising them brought dramatic improvement. I won't say these pickups are my favorite by any stretch, although for some reason I quite enjoy playing that New Yorker. If I want it to snarl a bit, a boost/OD pedal or just a mids boost from a para EQ does the trick.
Just commenting, not trying to sell anyone on the Nationals that feature this pickup. |
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